Impact ripper shank

ABSTRACT

A pile driver powered by compressed air, steam, or internal combustion, is mounted behind a large ripper shank. The ripper shank is mounted in a framework with lost motion so it can be driven forward in the frame by the pile driver.

iiitd States Patent Feiix IMPACT RIPPER SHANK [76] inventorz Henry T. Felix, P.O. Box 1132,

Ozona, Tex. 76943 221 Filed: Sept. 27, 1973 iii 1',- App]. No.: 401,356

52 us. C1 299/37, 37/1916. 18,172/40,

51 im. C1 A01b 13/08 58 Field of Search 299/36, 37, 14;

37/D1G. 18, 142 A; 172/40, 699

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,228,445 1/1941 Velbiss 37/142 A 2,422,490 6/1947 Torneau 299/36 2,499,620 3/1950 Alderman 172/40 3,770,322 11/1973 Cobb et a1. 299/37 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 183,133 11/1966 U.S.S.R 299/31 Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-William F. Pate, 111 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wendell Coffee -[57] ABSTRACT A pile driver powered by compressed air, steam, or internal combustion, is mounted behind a large ripper shank. The ripper shank is mounted in a framework with lost motion so it can be driven forward in the frame by the pile driver.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures in a; /3

MPACT RIPPER SHANK BACK 7 OUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to rippers for disintegrating 5 is pounded by a plunger which is carried within a body having a front plate. The plunger may be reciprocated with hammer-like blows.

Shatto, Jr., US. Pat. No. 3,527,501, discloses a ripper plow which has a sonic vibration produced by a rotating eccentric.

Bodine, US. Pat. No. 3,437,381, discloses a tool which is reciprocated within a sleeve and vibrated to drive it forward.

Agneni, U.S. Pat. No. 1,371,064, discloses a moldboard plow having a point which can be driven forward relative to the moldboard 5 by blows from mechani- Y D 25 of being attached to the tractor, it could be trailed becally driven hammers.

Other patents considered in the preparation of this application include;

Howard SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

1. New and Different Function 1 have invented a ripper for making massive rips through the earth. Specifically, I haveinvented a ripper adapted to extend at least five feet within the earth and be driven by impacts from a pile driver. The impacts are delivered to the plow in a forward direction extending downward. The impact is delivered to the entire ripper and not to a movable portion thereof. To deliver this type of impact to the ripper, it is necessary to mount the ripper with lost motion to the frame, i.e., the ripper point can move forward relative to the frame,

' but it is restrained by the frame to be pulled forward by the draftvehicle.

2. Objects of the Invention An object of this invention is torip the earth.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, simple, safe, efficient, versatile, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture, adjust, operate, and maintain.

Other objects are to achieve the above with a method that is versatile, rapid, efficient, and inexpensive, and does not require skilled people to adjust, operate, and maintain.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not necessarily to the same scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor and impact ripper according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view with parts broken away showing the ripper, impact device, and parts of the frame.

l0 FIG/3 is a top plan view of parts of the frame, ripper and impact device.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side sectional view of the ripper in the pocket as shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE lPREFERRE EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, there may be seen represented a draft vehicle in the form of tractor 10. The tractor has been sketchily illustrated, however,

20 it will be recognized as a track-laying vehicle. This pictorial representation is meant in no way to be a limitation and it could be just as well a rubber tired tractor.

Frame 12 is connected behind the tractor. Likewise, the frame could be in front of the tractor and, instead hind the tractor by a separately supported vehicle, e.g., the LE TOURNEAU rooter referred to above.

' As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the frame 12 includes conventional hydraulic cylinder 13 30 and associated equipment for raising and lowering it.

Because of the conventional nature of this equipment, it has been sketchily shown in the drawing. It will be understood that the hydraulic equipment can force the plow into the ground, i.e., transfer weight from the 5 tractor onto the frame and, thus, the ripper.

0 ripper shank 16. The ripper shank is held firmly as far as lateral movement is concerned. Pin 18 supporting the ripper shank 16-extends through horizontal elongated slot 20 in the ripper shank. Therefore, the pin 18 [which supports the ripper shank 16 does not impose any forward restraint upon it. Within reasonable limits of travel, there is no forward restraint upon the ripper shank. The shank 16 is free to move forward in the pocket 14 and, thus, in the frame 12. Particularly, point 22 is free to move forward.

Bumper block 24 is on the forward top of the pocket 14 where the leading top edge of the ripper shank 16 bumps against it. Bumper block 26 is on the bottom rear of the pocket 14 so that the trailing edge of the rip 55 per shank 16 can bumpagainst it. Therefore, the draft,

as transmitted to the frame 12 by the tractor 10, is.

transmitted by these bumper blocks 24 and 26. The ripper shank 16 will be at all times maintained vertical or with the forward inclination.

Impact device 28 is in the form of an air hammer or pile driver. It has cylinder 30 which is attached to the frame 12. The axis of the cylinder is inclined downward about 26. The axis of the cylinder is also aligned with the point 22 of the ripper 116. The 26 inclination is the same as the cutting angle of the ripper tooth on the point 22. l have found it advantageous to drive the ripper at the same angle as the cutting angle of the point 22. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that there is nothing critical about the 26 angle; it is only through many years of experience,.trial and error, it has been found that for most rock and hard earth material the angle of 26, or thereabout, works best. Therefore, when 26 downward forward is used in this applications specification, it is not meant to be an exact limitation, but merely to be that downward forward angle which has been proven through the years to be the best angle for hard earth working tools to work.

Hammer 32 is reciprocally mounted within the cylinder 30 of the impact device 28. The impact device with the cylinder is the means for shooting the hammer forward. The impact device 28 delivers the impact blows to the ripper l6. Inasmuch as the hammer will be mounted on the axis of the cylinder, the blows will be delivered in line with the ripper point 22. Also, I have found it desirable toprovide anvil 34 as an integral part of the rear or trailing edge of the ripper shank 16. This anvil 34 has a working face which is normal or at right angles to the axis of the'impact device 28. Inasmuch as the hammer hits the anvil and is in line with the point 22, it is also in line 26 from the point. I.e., the axis of the impact device, the hammer, and the point are all in line and all extend downward 26 from forward. As readily seen from the drawings, the connection of the ripper shank 16 in the pocket is above the line extending from the axis of the cylinder to the point 22. This arrangement results in the impacts of the hammer on the ripper whichv causes the ripper to move about the connection of the shank in the pocket.

Also, those skilled in the art will recognize, that the point 22 has a removable shoe placed thereover for best operation. However, such has not been shown in the drawing for convenience of illustration.

Since the impact device 28 requires large amounts of power, the source of operating fluid 36 has been shown as a separate vehicle, schematically, in FIG. 1. If the impact device 28 were in the form of'a steam pile driver, the source of operating fluid 36 would be a steam boiler connected to impact device 28 by flexible hose. On the other hand, if the impact device were to be operated by compressed air, then the source of operating fluid 36 would be in the form of an air compressor.

As stated before, it is contemplated that this would be quite massive equipment; specifically it is designed to make deep rips in the earth up to 8 feet below the surface of the earth. In fact, I contemplate that the smallest device for this kind of work would be to go at least 5 feet into the earth, i.e., the distance from the anvil 34 to the point 22 would be at least 5 feet vertical depth.

In the preferred embodiment, the impact device is a pile driver which operates at I40 strokes per minute, 1 1,000 pounds each.

Those skilled in the art will understand that just because this-device has been described as having but one ripper shank 16, it does not mean that it is thus limited; there could be additional ripper shanks 16, each with its own impact device.

The embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary. I do not claim to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described. Various modifications can be made in'the construction, material, arrangement,

and operation, and still be within the scope of my invention. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims. The restrictive description and drawing of the specific example aboye do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but are to enable thereader to make and use the invention.

I claim as my invention:

n impaqtr mze Comprisingr a. a frame,

b. a ripper in the frame,

c. an anvil on the back of the ripper integral therewith,

d. draft means attached to the frame for drawing the frame forward,

e. an impact device for driving the ripper forward and downward including:

' i. a hammer mounted in ii. a cylinder,

iii. said cylinder being means for shooting the ham mer forward and downward against said anvil,

f. the axis of the cylinder aligned with the anvil and with the forward lower most tip of the ripper,

g. said ripper including a vertical extending shank connected into said frame by a lost motion connection above the line extending from the axis of the cylinder to the tip of the ripper, so that impacts of the hammer on the ripper cause the ripper to move about said last motion connection.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 with an additional limitation of j. said ripper extending five feet vertically from the anvil to the lowest part of said ripper.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 with additional limitation of j. said axis of the cylinder sloping downward 26 forward.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 with an additional limitation of j. said impact device is a means for delivering impacts per minute at 1 1,000 pounds each.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lost motion means includes:

j. a pocket in said frame,

k. a horizontal elongated slot in the ripper shank,

m. a pin on the frame through the slot,

n. the shank having a lead edge and a trailing edge,

0. a top bumper block on the top of the pocket against which the top leading edge bumps, and

p. a bottom bumper block on the bottom of the pocket against which the trailing edge bumps.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 with an additional limitation of q. said ripper extending about 5 feet vertically from the anvil to the lowest part of said ripper.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 with an additional limitation of r. said axis of the cylinder sloping downward 26 forward.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 with an additional limitation of pacts per minute at 1 1,000 pounds each. 

1. An impact ripper COMPRISING: a. a frame, b. a ripper in the frame, c. an anvil on the back of the ripper integral therewith, d. draft means attached to the frame for drawing the frame forward, e. an impact device for driving the ripper forward and downward including: i. a hammer mounted in ii. a cylinder, iii. said cylinder being means for shooting the hammer forward and downward against said anvil, f. the axis of the cylinder aligned with the anvil and with the forward lower most tip of the ripper, g. said ripper including a vertical extending shank connected into said frame by a lost motion connection above the line extending from the axis of the cylinder to the tip of the ripper, so that impacts of the hammer on the ripper cause the ripper to move about said last motion connection.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 with an additional limitation of j. said ripper extending five feet vertically from the anvil to the lowest part of said ripper.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 with additional limitation of j. said axis of the cylinder sloping downward 26* forward.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 with an additional limitation of j. said impact device is a means for delivering 140 impacts per minute at 11,000 pounds each.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said lost motion means includes: j. a pocket in said frame, k. a horizontal elongated slot in the ripper shank, m. a pin on the frame through the slot, n. the shank having a lead edge and a trailing edge, o. a top bumper block on the top of the pocket against which the top leading edge bumps, and p. a bottom bumper block on the bottom of the pocket against which the trailing edge bumps.
 6. The invention as defined in claim 5 with an additional limitation of q. said ripper extending about 5 feet vertically from the anvil to the lowest part of said ripper.
 7. The invention as defined in claim 6 with an additional limitation of r. said axis of the cylinder sloping downward 26* forward.
 8. The invention as defined in claim 7 with an additional limitation of s. said impact device is a means for delivering 140 impacts per minute at 11,000 pounds each. 